What a Class A General Engineering Contractor Actually Does

Ask most people what a general contractor does and they’ll describe buildings — framing, finishes, tenant improvements. That’s the Class B world. The Class A license — General Engineering — covers a different job entirely: the heavy civil work that happens in the street, underground, and before any building can exist. It’s the license Mars Civil operates under, and it’s worth understanding what it actually authorizes.

The work itself

Class A covers fixed works that require specialized engineering knowledge and equipment: underground utility systems, sewer and water mains, storm drain, pipelines, earthwork and grading, concrete structures, and paving. In plain terms — if it’s buried, if it carries water or waste, or if a street has to be opened and put back to agency spec, it’s Class A work. Our crews self-perform it: trenching and excavation, pipe and structures, slurry backfill, and the concrete and asphalt restoration that closes the job.

Why the license class matters

Public agencies and most GCs don’t treat the license class as paperwork. Many public works scopes require a Class A prime or subcontractor outright, and the classification signals that the contractor is set up for the realities of civil work — agency inspection, compaction and materials testing, traffic control, prevailing wage and certified payroll, and bonding. A building contractor can be excellent at buildings and still be the wrong tool for a main replacement in a live street. The license is the first filter, and it’s there for a reason.

What it means for your project

For owners and GCs, working with a Class A contractor means one accountable firm from the first pothole to the final striping: we dig it, we build it, we backfill it to spec, and we restore the surface so the street looks like we were never there. With years of experience in Southern California streets, soils, and agency requirements — and our own crews and equipment — that’s the standard we bid to, whether the plans come from a city, a developer, or another contractor’s plan room.